Формат экзамена
Экзамен представляет собой тест по проверке навыков академического
чтения академического модуля международного экзамена IELTS International English Language Testing System, Academic Module. Тест состоит
из двух частей: Academic Reading и Academic Listening. Первая включает три
аутентичных текста общенаучного содержания и 40 вопросов к ним
различного формата. На выполнение теста отводится 60 минут. Вторая часть
состоит из четырех секций, также содержащих 40 вопросов различного
формата,
на
которые
требуется
ответить
во
время
аудиотеста
продолжительностью 30 минут. Во время теста не разрешается пользоваться
словарями, цифровыми устройствами и иными источниками информации.
Ответы на вопросы обеих частей теста вносятся в специальный лист (answer
sheet) и проверяются преподавателем по соответствующим данному
варианту теста ключам. В соответствии с числом правильных ответов
выставляется итоговая оценка по 100-балльной шкале (соответствующей
шкале IELTS Academic Reading от 0 до 9.0). Экзамен считается сданным, если
абитуриент набрал балл 40 (IELTS 4.0) или выше.
Литература
1. Jakeman, V., McDowell, С. New Insight into IELTS Student's Book with
Answers. - Cambridge University Press, 2008.
2. Cambridge IELTS 1-7 Self-study Pack (Student’s Book w ith Answers and
Audio CDs (2)): Examination Papers from University of Cambridge ESOL
Examinations (IELTS Practice Tests). - CUP, 2005-2009.
3. Cambridge IELTS 8 Student’s Book w ith Answers: Official Examination
Papers from University of Cambridge ESOL Examinations (IELTS Practice
Tests).-CUP, 2011.
4. Official IELTS Practice Materials 1 with Audio CD. - CUP, 2012.
5. Lougheed, L. Barron's IELTS w ith Audio CDs: International English Language
Testing System (Barron's lelts: International English Language Testing
System). - Barron's, 2010.
6. Braverman, S. Target Band 7: IELTS Academic Module - How to Maximize
Your Score (second edition). - www.IELTS-Blog.com, 2012.
3
7. Capel, A. Objective IELTS Advanced Student's Book with CD-ROM - CUP, 2006.
8. British Council IELTS Free Practice Tests. http ://ta keielts.britishcouncil.org/prepare-test/free-practice-tests
Содержание программы экзамена
Целью экзамена является проверка навыков академического чтения и
аудирования на английском языке, необходимые для обучения на магистерских
программах. Кроме того, одним из основных умений, проверяемых тестом,
является понимание инструкций, которые предполагают оформление ответа
определенным образом: например, выразить ответ не более, чем в трех словах;
определить, правдива, ложна или не приведена в тексте та или иная
информация; выбор одного или нескольких правильных ответов из списка;
выбор подзаголовков; заполнение резюме текста; заполнение таблицы, схемы,
модели и пр. Ограничение времени на поиск информации и внесение
соответствующих ответов дает возможность проверить умение работать с
академическим текстом для решения определенных задач, т.е. не читая его
подряд и не отвлекаясь на несущественные детали, а также уметь слышать и
интерпретировать необходимую информацию во время лекции, семинара и т.д.
Образец теста
Academic Reading
Reading passage 1
Read the passage and answer questions 1-13.
Making time for science
Chronobiology might sound a little futuristic - like something from a science fiction novel,
perhaps - but it’s actually a field of study that concerns one of the oldest processes life on
this planet has ever known: short-term rhythms of time and their effect on flora and fauna.
This can take many forms. Marine life, for example, is influenced by tidal patterns. Animals
tend to be active or inactive depending on the position of the sun or moon. Numerous
creatures, humans included, are largely diurnal - that is, they like to come out during the
hours of sunlight. Nocturnal animals, such as bats and possums, prefer to forage by night.
A third group are known as crepuscular: they thrive in the low-light of dawn and dusk and
remain inactive at other hours.
When it comes to humans, chronobiologists are interested in what is known as the
circadian rhythm. This is the complete cycle our bodies are naturally geared to undergo
4
within the passage of a twenty-four hour day. Aside from sleeping at night and waking
during the day, each cycle involves many other factors such as changes in blood pressure
and body temperature. Not everyone has an identical circadian rhythm. ‘Night people’, for
example, often describe how they find it very hard to operate during the morning, but
become alert and focused by evening. This is a benign variation within circadian rhythms
known as a chronotype.
Scientists have limited abilities to create durable modifications of chronobiological
demands. Recent therapeutic developments for humans such as artificial light machines
and melatonin administration can reset our circadian rhythms, for example, but our bodies
can tell the difference and health suffers when we breach these natural rhythms for
extended periods of time. Plants appear no more malleable in this respect; studies
demonstrate that vegetables grown in season and ripened on the tree are far higher in
essential nutrients than those grown in greenhouses and ripened by laser.
Knowledge of chronobiological patterns can have many pragmatic implications for our dayto-day lives. While contemporary living can sometimes appear to subjugate biology - after
all, who needs circadian rhythms when we have caffeine pills, energy drinks, shift work and
cities that never sleep? - keeping in synch with our body clock is important.
The average urban resident, for example, rouses at the eye-blearing time of 6.04 a.m.,
which researchers believe to be far too early. One study found that even rising at 7.00 a.m.
has deleterious effects on health unless exercise is performed for 30 minutes afterward.
The optimum moment has been whittled down to 7.22 a.m.; muscle aches, headaches and
moodiness were reported to be lowest by participants in the study who awoke then.
Once you’re up and ready to go, what then? If you’re trying to shed some extra pounds,
dieticians are adamant: never skip breakfast. This disorients your circadian rhythm and
puts your body in starvation mode. The recommended course of action is to follow an
intense workout with a carbohydrate-rich breakfast; the other way round and weight loss
results are not as pronounced.
Morning is also great for breaking out the vitamins. Supplement absorption by the body is
not temporal-dependent, but naturopath Pam Stone notes that the extra boost at breakfast
helps us get energised for the day ahead. For improved absorption, Stone suggests pairing
supplements with a food in which they are soluble and steering clear of caffeinated
beverages. Finally, Stone warns to take care with storage; high potency is best for
absorption, and warmth and humidity are known to deplete the potency of a supplement.
After-dinner espressos are becoming more of a tradition - we have the Italians to thank for
that - but to prepare for a good night’s sleep we are better off putting the brakes on
caffeine consumption as early as 3 p.m. With a seven hour half-life, a cup of coffee
containing 90 mg of caffeine taken at this hour could still leave 45 mg of caffeine in your
nervous system at ten o’clock that evening. It is essential that, by the time you are ready to
sleep, your body is rid of all traces.
Evenings are important for winding down before sleep; however, dietician Geraldine
Georgeou warns that an after-five carbohydrate-fast is more cultural myth than
chronobiological demand. This will deprive your body of vital energy needs. Overloading
your gut could lead to indigestion, though. Our digestive tracts do not shut down for the
night entirely, but their work slows to a crawl as our bodies prepare for sleep. Consuming a
modest snack should be entirely sufficient.
Questions 1-7
Do the following statements agree with the information given in Reading passage 1?
Answer True, False or Not given to questions 1-7.
1) Chronobiology is the study of how living things have evolved over time.
2) The rise and fall of sea levels affects how sea creatures behave.
3) Most animals are active during the daytime.
4) Circadian rhythms identify how we do different things on different days.
5) A 'night person' can still have a healthy circadian rhythm.
6) New therapies can permanently change circadian rhythms without causing harm.
7) Naturally-produced vegetables have more nutritional value.
Questions 8-13
Choose the correct letter, А, В, С or D.
8) What did researchers identify as the ideal time to wake up in the morning?
A) 6.04
B) 7.00
C) 7.22
D) 7.30
9) In order to lose weight, we should
A) avoid eating breakfast
B) eat a low carbohydrate breakfast
C) exercise before breakfast
D) exercise after breakfast
6
10) Which is NOT mentioned as a way to improve supplement absorption?
A) avoiding drinks containing caffeine while taking supplements
B) taking supplements at breakfast
C) taking supplements with foods that can dissolve them
D) storing supplements in a cool, dry environment
11) The best time to stop drinking coffee is
A) mid-afternoon
B) 10 p.m.
C) only when feeling anxious
D) after dinner
12) In the evening, we should
A) stay away from carbohydrates
B) stop exercising
C) eat as much as possible
D) eat a light meal
13) Which of the following phrases best describes the main aim of Reading Passage 1?
A) to suggest healthier ways of eating, sleeping and exercising
B) to describe how modern life has made chronobiology largely irrelevant
C) to introduce chronobiology and describe some practical applications
D) to plan a daily schedule that can alter our natural chronobiological rhythms
7
Reading passage 2
Read the passage and answer questions 14-26.
The Triune1 Brain
The first of our three brains to evolve is what scientists call the reptilian cortex. This brain
sustains the elementary activities of animal survival such as respiration, adequate rest and
a beating heart. We are not required to consciously “think” about these activities. The
reptilian cortex also houses the “startle centre”, a mechanism that facilitates swift reactions
to unexpected occurrences in our surroundings. That panicked lurch you experience when
a door slams shut somewhere in the house, or the heightened awareness you feel when a
twig cracks in a nearby bush while out on an evening stroll are both examples of the
reptilian cortex at work. When it comes to our interaction with others, the reptilian brain
offers up only the most basic impulses: aggression, mating, and territorial defence. There is
no great difference, in this sense, between a crocodile defending its spot along the river
and a turf war between two urban gangs.
Although the lizard may stake a claim to its habitat, it exerts total indifference toward the
well-being of its young. Listen to the anguished squeal of a dolphin separated from its pod
or witness the sight of elephants mourning their dead, however, and it is clear that a new
development is at play. Scientists have identified this as the limbic cortex. Unique to
mammals, the limbic cortex impels creatures to nurture their offspring by delivering feelings
of tenderness and warmth to the parent when children are nearby. These same sensations
also cause mammals to develop various types of social relations and kinship networks.
When we are with others of “our kind” - be it at soccer practice, church, school or a
nightclub - we experience positive sensations of togetherness, solidarity and comfort. If we
spend too long away from these networks, then loneliness sets in and encourages us to
seek companionship.
Only human capabilities extend far beyond the scope of these two cortexes. Humans eat,
sleep and play, but we also speak, plot, rationalise and debate finer points of morality. Our
unique abilities are the result of an expansive third brain - the neocortex - which engages
with logic, reason and ideas. The power of the neocortex comes from its ability to think
beyond the present, concrete moment. While other mammals are mainly restricted to
impulsive actions (although some, such as apes, can learn and remember simple lessons),
humans can think about the “big picture”. We can string together simple lessons (for
example, an apple drops downwards from a tree; hurting others causes unhappiness) to
develop complex theories of physical or social phenomena (such as the laws of gravity and
a concern for human rights).
The neocortex is also responsible for the process by which we decide on and commit to
particular courses of action. Strung together over time, these choices can accumulate into
feats of progress unknown to other animals. Anticipating a better grade on the following
morning’s exam, a student can ignore the limbic urge to socialise and go to sleep early
instead. Over three years, this ongoing sacrifice translates into a first class degree and a
scholarship to graduate school; over a lifetime, it can mean ground-breaking contributions
to human knowledge and development. The ability to sacrifice our drive for immediate
satisfaction in order to benefit later is a product of the neocortex.
8
Understanding the triune brain can help us appreciate the different natures of brain
damage and psychological disorders. The most devastating form of brain damage, for
example, is a condition in which someone is understood to be brain dead. In this state a
person appears merely unconscious - sleeping, perhaps - but this is illusory. Here, the
reptilian brain is functioning on autopilot despite the permanent loss of other cortexes.
Disturbances to the limbic cortex are registered in a different manner. Pups with limbic
damage can move around and feed themselves well enough but do not register the
presence of their littermates. Scientists have observed how, after a limbic lobotomy2, “one
impaired monkey stepped on his outraged peers as if treading on a log or a rock”. In our
own species, limbic damage is closely related to sociopathic behaviour. Sociopaths in
possession of fully-functioning neocortexes are often shrewd and emotionally intelligent
people but lack any ability to relate to, empathise with or express concern for others.
One of the neurological wonders of history occurred when a railway worker named Phineas
Gage survived an incident during which a metal rod skewered his skull, taking a
considerable amount of his neocortex with it. Though Gage continued to live and work as
before, his fellow employees observed a shift in the equilibrium of his personality. Gage’s
animal propensities were now sharply pronounced while his intellectual abilities suffered;
garrulous or obscene jokes replaced his once quick wit. New findings suggest, however,
that Gage managed to soften these abrupt changes over time and rediscover an
appropriate social manner. This would indicate that reparative therapy has the potential to
help patients with advanced brain trauma to gain an improved quality of life.
1 Triune = three-in-one
2 Lobotomy = surgical cutting of brain nerves
Questions 14-22
Classify the following as typical of
A
the reptilian cortex
В
the limbic cortex
С
the neocortex
Answer A, В or C, to questions 14-22.
14) giving up short-term happiness for future gains
15) maintaining the bodily functions necessary for life
16) experiencing the pain of losing another
17) forming communities and social groups
18) making a decision and carrying it out
9
19) guarding areas of land
20) developing explanations for things
21) looking after one's young
22) responding quickly to sudden movement and noise
Questions 23-26
Complete the sentences below.
Use no more than two words from the passage for each answer.
23) A person with only a functioning reptilian cortex is known a s ...............
24 ) .............in humans is associated with limbic disruption.
25) An industrial accident caused Phineas Gage to lose part of h is ...............
26) After his accident, co-workers noticed an imbalance between G a g e 's............... and higher-order
thinking.
Reading passage 3
Read the passage and answer questions 27-40.
Helium’s future up in the air
A) In recent years we have all been exposed to dire media reports concerning the
impending demise of global coal and oil reserves, but the depletion of another key non­
renewable resource continues without receiving much press at all. Helium - an inert,
odourless, monatomic element known to lay people as the substance that makes balloons
float and voices squeak when inhaled - could be gone from this planet within a generation.
B) Helium itself is not rare; there is actually a plentiful supply of it in the cosmos. In fact, 24
per cent of our galaxy’s elemental mass consists of helium, which makes it the second
most abundant element in our universe. Because of its lightness, however, most helium
vanished from our own planet many years ago. Consequently, only a miniscule proportion
- 0.00052%, to be exact - remains in earth’s atmosphere. Helium is the by-product of
millennia of radioactive decay from the elements thorium and uranium. The helium is
mostly trapped in subterranean natural gas bunkers and commercially extracted through a
method known as fractional distillation.
10
C) The loss of helium on Earth would affect society greatly. Defying the perception of it as
a novelty substance for parties and gimmicks, the element actually has many vital
applications in society. Probably the most well known commercial usage is in airships and
blimps (non-flammable helium replaced hydrogen as the lifting gas du jour after the
Hindenburg catastrophe in 1932, during which an airship burst into flames and crashed to
the ground killing some passengers and crew). But helium is also instrumental in deep-sea
diving, where it is blended with nitrogen to mitigate the dangers of inhaling ordinary air
under high pressure; as a cleaning agent for rocket engines; and, in its most prevalent use,
as a coolant for superconducting magnets in hospital MRI (magnetic resonance imaging)
scanners.
D) The possibility of losing helium forever poses the threat of a real crisis because its
unique qualities are extraordinarily difficult, if not impossible to duplicate (certainly, no
biosynthetic ersatz product is close to approaching the point of feasibility for helium, even
as similar developments continue apace for oil and coal). Helium is even cheerfully derided
as a “loner” element since it does not adhere to other molecules like its cousin, hydrogen.
According to Dr. Lee Sobotka, helium is the “most noble of gases, meaning it’s very stable
and non-reactive for the most p a rt... it has a closed electronic configuration, a very tightly
bound atom. It is this coveting of its own electrons that prevents combination with other
elements’. Another important attribute is helium’s unique boiling point, which is lower than
that for any other element. The worsening global shortage could render millions of dollars
of high-value, life-saving equipment totally useless. The dwindling supplies have already
resulted in the postponement of research and development projects in physics laboratories
and manufacturing plants around the world. There is an enormous supply and demand
imbalance partly brought about by the expansion of high-tech manufacturing in Asia.
E) The source of the problem is the Helium Privatisation Act (HPA), an American law
passed in 1996 that requires the U.S. National Helium Reserve to liquidate its helium
assets by 2015 regardless of the market price. Although intended to settle the original cost
of the reserve by a U.S. Congress ignorant of its ramifications, the result of this fire sale is
that global helium prices are so artificially deflated that few can be bothered recycling the
substance or using it judiciously. Deflated values also mean that natural gas extractors see
no reason to capture helium. Much is lost in the process of extraction. As Sobotka notes:
"[t]he government had the good vision to store helium, and the question now is: Will the
corporations have the vision to capture it when extracting natural gas, and consumers the
wisdom to recycle? This takes long-term vision because present market forces are not
sufficient to compel prudent practice”. For Nobel-prize laureate Robert Richardson, the
U.S. government must be prevailed upon to repeal its privatisation policy as the country
supplies over 80 per cent of global helium, mostly from the National Helium Reserve. For
Richardson, a twenty- to fifty-fold increase in prices would provide incentives to recycle.
F) A number of steps need to be taken in order to avert a costly predicament in the coming
decades. Firstly, all existing supplies of helium ought to be conserved and released only by
permit, with medical uses receiving precedence over other commercial or recreational
demands. Secondly, conservation should be obligatory and enforced by a regulatory
agency. At the moment some users, such as hospitals, tend to recycle diligently while
others, such as NASA, squander massive amounts of helium. Lastly, research into
alternatives to helium must begin in earnest.
11
Questions 27-31
Reading passage 3 has six paragraphs, A -F. Which paragraph contains the following information?
27) a use for helium which makes an activity safer
28) the possibility of creating an alternative to helium
29) a term which describes the process of how helium is taken out of the ground
30) a reason why users of helium do not make efforts to conserve it
31) a contrast between helium's chemical properties and how non-scientists think about it
Questions 32-35
Do the following statements agree with the claims of the writer in Reading passage 3?
Answer Yes, No or Not given to questions 32-35.
32) Helium chooses to be on its own.
33) Helium is a very cold substance.
34) High-tech industries in Asia use more helium than laboratories and manufacturers in other parts
of the world.
35) The US Congress understood the possible consequences of the HPA.
Questions 36-40
Complete the summary below. Choose no more than two words from the passage for each answer.
Sobotka argues that big business and users of helium need to help look after helium stocks because (36)
...........................will not be encouraged through buying and selling alone. Richardson believes that the
(3 7 )...........................needs to be withdrawn, as the U.S. provides most o f the world’s helium. He argues
that higher costs would mean people have (3 8 )...........................to use the resource many times over.
People should need a (3 9 )...........................to access helium that we still have. Furthermore, a (40)
...........................should ensure that helium is used carefully.
12
Academic Listening
Listening section 1
Questions 1-5
Example question
Answer
Destination?
Harbour City
Complete the notes below. Write no more than two words and/or a number for each answer.
Questions: transport from Bayswater
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Express train leaves at ( 1 ) ..................................
Nearest station is ( 2 ) ..................................
Number 706 bus goes to ( 3 ) ..................................
Number ( 4 ) .................................. bus goes to station
Earlier bus leaves at ( 5 ) ..................................
Questions 6-10
Complete the table below.
Write no more than one word and/or a number for each answer.
Transport
Cash fare
Card fare
Bus
(6 )$ ...
$1.50
Train (peak)
$10
$10
Train (off-peak)
- before 5pm or after
( 7 ) ............pm)
$10
(8) $ ...
( 9 ) .................. ferry
$4.50
Tourist ferry
((10) .....................)
$35
-
Tourist ferry (whole day)
$65
-
$3.55
Listening section 2
Questions 11-14
Which counsellor should you see? Write the correct letter, A, В or C, next to questions 11-14.
A
Louise Basshaw
В
Tony Denby
С
Naomi Flynn
Questions
11) if it is your first time seeing a counsellor
12) if you are unable to see a counsellor during normal office hours
13) if you do not have an appointment
14) if your concerns are related to anxiety
Questions 15-20
Complete the table below. Write no more than two words for each answer.
Workshop
Contact
Target group
Adjusting
what you need to succeed
academically
( 15) ...............
students
Getting
Organised
use time effectively, find
(16)........................ between
study and leisure
all students
Communicating
talking with staff, communicating
across cultures
all students,
especially
(17).............
Anxiety
(1 8 ).............................. breathing
techniques, meditation, etc.
students about to
sit exams
(W) ......
staying on track for long periods
(20) ..........................
students only
14
Listening section 3
Questions 21-30
Complete the notes below. Write no more than three words for each answer.
Questions
Novel: (2 1 ).............................
Protagonists: Mary Lennox; Colin Craven
Time period: Early in (2 2 ).............................
Mary moves to UK - meets Colin who thinks he'll never be able to
(2 3 )............................... They become friends.
Point of view: “Omniscient” - narrator knows all about characters'
feelings, opinions and (2 4 ).............................
Audience: Good for children - story simple to follow
Symbols (physical items that represent (2 5 ).............................):
«
the robin redbreast
(26) ......................................
•
the portrait of Mistress Craven
Motifs (patterns in the story):
•
the Garden of Eden
•
secrecy - metaphorical and literal transition from (2 7 ).....................
Themes: Connections between
•
(2 8 ).............................. and outlook
•
(2 9 ).............................. and well-being
•
individuals and the need for (3 0 ).............................
15
Listening section 4
Questions 31-35
Complete the table below. Write one word only for each answer.
Time Perspectives
Time
Zone
Outlook
Features & Consequences
Past
Positive
Remember good times, e.g.
birthdays.
Keep family records, photo
albums, etc.
(3 1 )..........
Focus on disappointments,
failures, bad decisions.
Hedonistic
Live for (3 2 )........................;
seek sensation; avoid pain.
Fatalistic
Life is governed by (33)
.................... . religious
beliefs, social conditions.
Life's path can't be changed.
Present
Future
(3 4 )...........
Fatalistic
Questions 36-40
Choose the correct letter, A, В or C.
Questions
36) We are all present hedonists
A) at school
B) at birth
C) while eating and drinking
Prefer work to play. Don’t
give in to temptation.
Have a strong belief in life
after death and importance
of (3 5 ).............. ....... in life.
Приложение 1. Описание шкал оценки теста
90-100 (IELTS 9 Expert user)
Владеет языком адекватно, безошибочно и бегло с полным пониманием.
80-89 (IELTS 8 Very good user)
Владеет языком очень хорошо, допуская отдельные несистемные неточности и
погрешности. Допускает неверное истолкование в незнакомых ситуациях.
70-79 (IELTS 7 Good user)
Владеет языком хорошо, несмотря на отдельные неточности, погрешности и неверное
истолкование.
60-69 (IELTS 6 Competent user)
Владеет языком в целом эффективно, хотя часто допускает неточности, погрешности и
неверное истолкование.
50-59 (IELTS 5 Modest user)
Владеет языком частично, в большинстве случаев справляясь с пониманием общего
значения, хотя и допускает много ошибок.
40-49 (IELTS 4 Limited user)
Владеет языком на базовом уровне, который ограничивается знакомым контекстом.
30-39 (IELTS 3 Extremely limited user)
Понимает только общий смысл в хорошо знакомом контексте.
20-29 (IELTS 2 Intermittent user)
Не имеет реальной возможности воспринимать информацию, за исключением самых
простых коротких высказываний в знакомом контексте и отдельных слов.
10-19 (IELTS 1 Non user)
Не владеет языком, за исключением некоторых изолированных слов.
0-9 (IELTS 0 Did not attempt the test)
Информации о владении языком практически нет.